Chennai , 26 May (H.S.):

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests by rejecting Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir project across the Cauvery river, warning that it could adversely affect lakhs of farmers dependent on the river and undermine the existing water-sharing framework.

In a detailed letter to the Prime Minister, Vijay expressed concern over reports that Karnataka was preparing to move ahead with a “Bhoomi Puja” for the long-pending Mekedatu project. He said public statements made by Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister regarding the project had triggered concern among farmers in Tamil Nadu, where agriculture in several regions depends heavily on Cauvery water.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the Cauvery water dispute had gone through nearly three decades of legal battles before reaching a settlement through the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), which was later upheld and modified by the Supreme Court in its judgment on February 16, 2018.

Vijay stated that the Mekedatu project was never included among the projects approved under the Tribunal’s final award and argued that proceeding with a new large-scale reservoir would contradict the legal framework currently governing water-sharing arrangements between basin states.

He further noted that the Cauvery basin has already been classified as a water-deficit basin, with available water resources fully allocated among the participating states based on established parameters. Therefore, he argued, there was little scope for additional major projects across the river and its tributaries.

The Chief Minister also raised concerns over Karnataka’s proposal to create a 67.16 TMC storage reservoir near the Tamil Nadu border, stating that such a move could alter natural water flows and affect scheduled water releases to downstream states.

Seeking immediate intervention, Vijay requested the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission to reject Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report and prevent any further action without the consent of co-basin states.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman